New Isekai Life (frisbee x Mini Magi)

[frisbee]

Lily chuckled into her hand. She widened her stance and placed her hands on her hips, proclaiming proudly: "You think you can bore me to death or something? Don't be arrogant, Yul. I could listen to your explanation for hours and hang onto your every word the whole time." She playfully stuck out her tongue with a wink. "I'm kind of uhm... naturally curious, I guess. Anyway, that aside..."

She stood about the same distance from the target as he did and focused her gaze squarely on it. Then, she closed her eyes, keeping the target in her mind's eye, blocking out everything else. She did meditate sometimes, so this all was fairly familiar territory to her. The surroundings were peaceful enough as well, it made it easy to concentrate.

She held out her right hand in front of her, pointing at the tree. She probably should've done this step before closing her eyes, but it seemed fine this time. Her aim wasn't off. At this point she wasn't sure what to do anymore, so she imagined shooting a fireball from the palm of her hand. Curiosity got the better of her then, and she cautiously opened one of her eyes just far enough to sneak a peek.

She noticed a similar ring of light around her hand, but as soon as she saw it her focus was interrupted by sheer awe. Instead of firing anything her hand instead conjured an uncontrolled magical explosion of sorts, engulfing her completely. She vanished from the spot.

Holding her arms crossed in front of her in a defensive stance, Lily instead found herself in the cottage, more than a little flustered. "Huh...?" She quickly sprinted back out, towards the grassy meadow they'd been in moments before. As she approached, she yelled out: "Yul?! Are you okay?!"

[Mini Magi]

She seemed to get the basics easily. A given considering he taught her a bit of a shortcut to it. And then the moment of truth came... Wait what?! Before he knew it, there was a blast, and she was gone. Immediately he went into search mode, looking around, trying to get her scent from the air. She obviously wasn't blown up. Teleportation? When he heard her yell out, Yul turned to her right away and went over to her, and put his hands below her chin. "Hold still." He was not in the mood to play around obviously, and gave her a good look, shifting her head ever so slightly when needed... until he let out a sigh. "I was more worried about you." And took his hands back, going back, starting to relax now. She really was okay as far as he could tell. As if nothing happened. 

Yul looked over to the spot from which she vanished. Nothing about it seemed like she had moved from there quickly. He also didn't see her move, and his perception was higher than that of the average person. Thinking it over, Yul looked back to Lily again. "Okay... I'm gonna be honest with you: I have no idea what you just did. It moved you, but that wasn't teleportation. That requires very complex calculations." If he couldn't identify her power, was there anything they knew? Kinda. Yul chuckled. It wouldn't be perfect, but... "Don't worry about it. We at least know now that if you cast it on yourself, it gets you out of sticky situations. Like traps, or being surrounded, or maybe even out of pitfalls? That in itself is already a very useful thing. And if we are lucky: One you won't have to worry about if I do my job right." 

Speaking of his job, it was about time they moved. Yul's place, and many opportunities awaited. "Is there anything else you wanna try or ask before we get moving?" 

Edited September 17, 2022 by Mini Magi

[frisbee]

Lily breathed a sigh of relief to see everything was still okay, though Yul's serious reaction did unsettle her a bit. It made her realize she could've gotten seriously hurt. Besides, with his hands holding her face like that she couldn't help but freeze up. "Ah, um... Thanks. I'm okay it seems..."

Lily was a little apprehensive about all this. Was it really as useful as Yul was making it out to be? Could she be trusted to wield it responsibly? "I'm not sure, but... only I was transported, right? If we're together and we're in a real bind this won't help you, will it?" Perhaps she just needed some more practice to actually figure out what was going on, but... at the moment she just felt lightheaded. "Let's just go for now. We'll have plenty of time at your place, right?"

[Mini Magi]

Wait. Was she worried about him? Charming~ Cute too, and it made him chuckle. "Well, aren't you just adorable? I appreciate the thought, but don't worry about me. I'm the big monster who sits on the wall, to make sure the other monsters don't jump over it. I'll be fine no matter what comes at us. But... You know. Thanks. I think you're the first person in quite a while to think of my wellbeing." He could appreciate that, and he nodded at her question. "Exactly~ And I dare say you'll like it. It's big, quiet, and not too far away from the city center. And before we leave, just one more thing." Yul went back inside, and came out again quickly with a cloak in hand. Beige in color, and with a hood in case it started to rain. "We'll head for a clothing store first, but mind wearing this till we get there? In this world, your clothing has... well, a different meaning than you might think." Best be at least somewhat vague about it. Odds were her little head would turn red and explode out of embarrassment otherwise. 

After heading out, Yul took the both of them to the road, which they followed, and even got picked up by a travelling farmer along the way. While he would have been weary of Yul on his own, it was obvious that having Lily around softened the reaction he usually got. ...And Yul giving the farmer 2 silvers definitely helped too. Unfortunately they couldn't talk much this way or risk exposing her, but hey. No hurting feet were worth it.

Once they arrived in the city, Lily would probably quickly notice that it didn't look quite medieval. There were streetlights for the night, even if they had no bulbs in them. Some of the wooden signs glowed, as if they had been painted with glowing paint. There were also familiar food stands, such as hot dogs, crêpes, and ice cream? Since they were in a crowded city, Yul was more comfortable talking with her now. "Remember how I told you about otherworlders? They shaped our world quite a bit in their prime. I think they would usually power various things with electricity? We use magitech for similar enough effects, like making light, heat, cold, even move things like water over great distances." But it was clear that most of that magitech was going towards small or simple inventions. After all, there were no cars around. Everything was still pulled by horses. Or almost anything, because there was definitely a train going by in the distance. There was also no sign of a phone around, so there was likely nothing yet that was more complicated than mechanical motion, and simple energy conversion. 

One short walk later, they finally did find themselves at a clothing store. Shelves upon shelves of clothes for the good common folk. Yul's presence once again made people try to avoid his field of view, but at this point, he barely cared anymore. Not that he wanted to cause trouble however, so he turned to Lily. "How about you go look for something you like, and I'll go wait over there till you are done?" He pointed ahead to the change rooms, where someone was kind enough to put down a bench. "And take your time. Not that these will be the last clothes you'll ever have, but make every purchase count, you know? You have a budged of... let's say 30 silver. That should be enough for everything from head to toe with a sweetspot between stingy and expensive." Looking around, the price tags would probably agree. Underwear was going for about 2 silvers, tops and pants for roughly 4, and accessories like ribbons for about 1 silver. Same for bundles of socks. Or at least unless someone wanted something fancy with laces, frills, or ribbons on their clothes. That seemed to usually double the price. There was also oddly enough, a school uniform... but its price tag was ridiculous, measuring in gold coins rather than silver. Still. That should be plenty for a modest initial selection. They could go shopping big time another day. First, they had to get some essentials.

Edited September 27, 2022 by Mini Magi

[frisbee]

The cloak didn't come as a surprise to Lily. She'd expected to have to hide her identity as an otherworlder, but what Yul said about her clothes still rubbed her the wrong way. A different meaning? What's that supposed to mean? It's just a school uniform... Somehow, she felt it better not to inquire further. At least for now.

Seeing the city left quite an impression on her. It's almost as if she'd traveled back in time, except for the glaringly out of place elements for such a scenario. It was a little reassuring at least that this world wasn't going to be completely unfamiliar to her. As much damage as the otherworlders might've caused, she was grateful for that at least. She already knew she was going to enjoy her fair share of crêpes.

"Um, sure..." Thirty silver? She had no concept of what that might be worth. How much silver goes into one gold? She guessed probably a hundred, but... that's only because that's how currency she's already familiar with works. Then again, it couldn't be that different if otherworlders had such a far-reaching influence on this world.

Lily stopped for a moment. She's overthinking this. "Right... Thanks. I'll pay it back later."

She scoured through many articles of clothing, holding them out in front of her, comparing them, carefully picking a combination she felt suited her. Eventually she emerged from the fitting room donning a simple white top with a cute red ribbon at the front. She wore a slim pair of black pants and a red hairclip. Besides that she'd picked out two pairs of underwear, but she really didn't want to change into those then and there. "Well? Will this work, you think?" She then lowered her voice a little, just in case. She had to know, though. "Also, what is the deal with that school uniform? Does it have to do with what you said about my clothes earlier?"

[Mini Magi]

Truth be told, he didn't expect her to emerge from that fitting room like an angel, surrounded by sparkles and accompanied by chimes. But the result was still quite good. "Dunno, but I do approve of that cute top." Pants were more practical than skirts, and the clip added a nice touch of subtle feminine charm. At the question of her school uniform, he chuckled. "Well... You know how when men get lonely, have some money, and visit a late night establishment for... let's say recreational purposes?" He pointed to the uniform again and again during his next points, his voice just a little bit raised, but full of energy regardless. "Young thoughts, long socks, tight skirt, cute shoes, inducing thoughts of sin~♪" He turned back to her, his hands back in his pockets, and more quiet for obvious reasons. "It's basically a bunny suit. The culture of Otherworlders is quite popular around here. I mean, you probably noticed by now that we speak the same language, that you can read the numbers and letters around here despite it being a different world." All in all, her culture was quite loved around here. But he'd let her see herself just how far it reached. For now, just a bit more information.

[frisbee]

Lily clutched her heart and took a step back. Her face turned a little pink, and her expression was equal parts embarrassment and fury. Luckily she wasn't wearing her school uniform anymore, she might not have survived the additional embarrassment then. "Y-You mean the king didn't tell me?! None of those goons at the castle did!" Her voice was a whisper-yell, barely restrained by her willpower. Her eyes radiated murderous intent. She grit her teeth and clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white. She really wanted to yell at the top of her lungs how she felt about those lecherous lowlifes, letting her run around in something that essentially boiled down to a bunnysuit. She knew better than to cause a scene though, so she took a few deep breaths to calm herself. "Don't tell me you were looking at me like that too... be honest with me." She pointed an accusing finger at Yul. It's not like Lily wasn't used to turning heads, but this was different. It felt like a violation.

[Mini Magi]

Not that he could blame the castle staff. Lily could rival just about any noble as far as Yul was concerned. Was it a good idea to ask him directly, however? "Well... To be fair, you ARE cute." She really really was, and there was no reason to deny that. Still, he quickly added: "But I guess I was a bit distracted by trying to not get... you know. Impaled. Tell you what though." If she thought only she could go on the offensive, she was about to be surprised. Because Yul put his right arm on the wall behind her, then bend it to let his elbow gently hit the wall, pulling him closer to her. He didn't block her right of course in case this was too intense. But at the same time, couldn't help but give it one more push with his words. "Put it on again sometime, and we'll just see what happens. Sound fun?" He was joking of course... kinda. Again, cute. But this was mainly to give an honest compliment, and to show that he wasn't the type to shy away from difficult questions.

[frisbee]

"W-wuh...! You...! T-t-that..." Her mind was racing in that moment, flooded with all manner of different thoughts. Her eyes darted all over the place, conflicted between maintaining eye contact and avoiding it, and she couldn't achieve more than a few stutters. Her brain was fried. She thought about wearing her school uniform again for Yul, realizing now what that entailed. She thought about Yul as a sexual partner. He was attractive enough, after all. Her face lit up bright as a tomato and she shook her head. What was she thinking? No, what was HE thinking for putting those thoughts in her head?! And yet, she couldn't find it in herself to get that upset. It was a compliment after all. Kind of a weird way to put it, but she appreciated it anyway. "I-I'm sure you'd enjoy that, wouldn't you?" She tried to come off accusatory, but there was hesitance in her voice. She hastily changed the subject. "A-anyway! Enough about that! Let's get out of here."

[Mini Magi]

He did consider teasing her a bit more when it come to her first question, but her little heart could probably take only so much right now. So he just smiled, sighed, and pulled back, giving her back some personal space. "Sure. The next stop is a good one~" And so, with Lily off the hook and the clothes paid for, they went to the streets once more. It was mid day by now. The sun already passed its peak, but it was still warm and busy outside. Maybe a bit more so than before now that people had the time to go shop and tend to some luxury needs. Even better, Yul had a more relaxed pace. Probably because he didn't have to worry about what people might think if a strong gust lifted up a certain someone's cloak. This gave Lily time to peek into the shops on occasion, and see machinery in a smithy. It was simple, just a striking hammer that moved thanks to a wheel, not unlike that of a train's. At a bakery, she could peek into the back of the store through the glass and see large ovens. The prices were interesting as well, which improved her understanding of how much something was worth. "Ah right. We didn't talk about money yet, did we? Well first of all: We have no paper money. It's still all about coins, and they move up in 100 units. So some bread will set you back about 50 copper, meat will usually cost a silver, tools go for upwards from 30 silver, and a shiny new sword will cost you a couple gold coins. Once you have 100 gold coins, you can exchange them for a platinum coin, though that is usually only done for storage, or really expensive trades. In comparison: It takes the average guard a whole day to earn roughly 10 silver." In a way, things were cheaper here than in her former world. But the reasons for that were not important right now. 

A bit later, the two of them arrived at what looked like a storefront... run down one. But one thing at a time. It was a 2 story building with a double door entrance, which was currently protected by a metal fence. And although the glass windows were a bit dirty, they were all in one piece. All in all, it would just take some good ol elbow grease to turn it into a working storefront. There were even shelves, a counter, and a register inside. Buuuut what it also had was a sign that read "Thieves will be prostituted. You read that right. I have collars." When Yul noticed Lily looking at it, he felt the need to clarify. "It's more effective than threatening someone with violence." A knife just hurt the body. Becoming a slave hurt the soul. THAT was a good deterrent. "Anyway. It looks better on the inside, I promise." Yul went to the front door and unlocked the fence with a key, pulling it to the side, and opened the door. The inside was dusty as expected. Oddly enough, no dirt or water from a leaky roof though. Was this state on purpose? A door led into the back of the store, though what was behind there was not important yet. What was more interesting were the stairs behind the counter, which lead up.

[frisbee]

If anything the sign served as a reminder that this world didn't have the same moral values and sensibilities as hers. Lily grimaced. "That seems... unethical. You can just do that here? What about due process?" She reached up to touch her neck for a moment and shuddered. "What's with this place, anyway?" She glanced around the dusty shelves and noted that there wasn't a clerk or cashier or anyone here. "It looks like a store, but... something seems fishy. I can trust you, right?" Lily narrowed her eyes. Surely Yul had to realize how suspicious it was for him to bring her to a place like this, especially with that sign up. In the back of her mind Lily retraced the steps she needed to take to cast her magic, just in case she needed it.

[Mini Magi]

"Whut?" Where was he supposed to start with that? With how little it made sense as a whole? Then again, it seemed to dawn on him that she was simply not aware of how everything worked. No wonder she was suddenly on edge. "Ohhhh. Okay, I know it looks bad. But think it through. If it is so easy to make someone a slave, wouldn't it have made much more sense to do so while you were asleep?" The world would also be nothing but chaos if it was so easy, but that was beside the point. "Think of that sign as a deterrent for petty thieves. The kind that are too dumb to know that there is indeed a process and trial before someone can become a slave. Which by the way, is usually either because someone committed a crime, or is in dept and has no other way to pay." But as for whenever she could trust him or not? He avoided that one, and instead just pointed inside. "Now get into the creepy store, or no lunch for you." He was going to cook in that dusty store? The images in her head would be a good punishment for doubting him.

Once/if she moved in, Yul would close and lock the door behind them. He then went to a crank on the wall and turned it, which made the store's shutters roll down. From the outside they could be just lifted up after unlocking the door. From the inside, crank it was. Yul then tossed her the key. "I only have the one, so keep it if you feel like you can't trust me." It would of course still take some time to even get down here, unlock the door, and then turn the crank, but that was as much as he could do for that feeling of hers right now. Well that, and take her upstairs. Yul went first, up to a door, turned the handle... "And now behold... my stuff." *click*, and pushed a button on the wall that made crystals in the ceiling light up. There was a night and day difference between this floor and the 1st. For the most obvious one: It was clean. The floor was practically reflective. Right at the entrance were clothing hooks, onto which he put his jacket, and left his shoes there. What parted the entrance area from the rest of the floor was one last step. A little check if someone took off their shoes or not.

The floor was made from wood, while the walls were not simply brick work, but had actual wallpaper on them. Granted it was just white and a bit bland, but when putting their hand on them, it felt like the wall behind it was smooth. Perhaps this was for the sake of insulation? The corridor led straight to what could be a living and dining room, evident by the table with chairs in the middle of the room, bookshelves at the sides, as well as an expensive looking pair of a couch and chair near the big window, onto which Yul just dropped with a satisfied sigh. Looking around a bit, the nearby door was open, which let her peek into a well-equipped kitchen. There was what looked like a modern oven in there, a sink (which meant running water), and a number of utensils to handle both pots and pans. One would have trouble not wondering how much everything cost. "So... Still having doubts? Or is it just confusion now?" He asked while he relaxed his back against the gentle touch of the sofa, his right hand by now behind his head, while his left rested on his stomach. He looked quite satisfied with himself. Back to his more playful mood now that she probably saw that there was no danger around.

Edited September 25, 2022 by Mini Magi

[frisbee]

She fumbled with the key before slipping it into her back pocket, not sure what to think of all this. Were the shutters really necessary? She let out a little sigh and decided to just follow him. It wouldn't do to come off as ungrateful.

She kicked off her shoes and stepped further inside the second floor. She'd expected some kind of criminal establishment with a storefront like the one downstairs, but this looked like a well-kept home. She looked around for a few moments, inspecting the furnishings. The floor stood out to her from how reflective it was for wood. Was it laminated? Lily preferred the feeling of soft carpet at her feet, but that's always a pain to keep clean. She understood why it was not that popular. "...Yeah. Confused is right. You live here?" She wandered over to the chair next to the window and sat, leaning back and with her legs crossed. She took a deep breath and allowed herself to relax. The key in her pocket was now a minor annoyance, so she tossed it onto the coffee table in front of her.

[Mini Magi]

"Then I'm doing something right." Yul stretched, then turned his head to her. "I make downstairs look like that so that people don't assume I have money. While in fact, I'm quite well off. I helped quite a few Otherworlders over the years, and they all had a neat idea or two I could either build myself, or buy in parts and research on my own. Like those lights. They are connected to an underground waterwheel that uses magnets and copper to make that oh so neat electricity. And I get hot water thanks to glyphs on the valves that use the mana of whoever touches them, to heat up the pipe below it. I dare say, I'm living better than most nobles. Albeit on a smaller scale." Some inventions were out of his reach, sure, but still. Running water, heat, and cold on command. And no staff he needed to pay. "Say. I think it's about time we discuss what we'll do with you. How about I get us something to drink for that?" He was going through his inventory in his mind, and there was a bottle of wine that felt fitting for the occasion. Nothing strong, just something to go with the mood.

[frisbee]

Better than most nobles seemed to amount to a pretty average middle class living situation going by Lily's perspective. Even then a lot of modern luxuries were absent, but this certainly wasn't worth complaining about or even mentioning. "Yeah, I'm not picky. Anything will do." What would she do, huh. She assumed she'd find a way back to her own world, but what if that wasn't possible? Would she have to stay here? What about her old life? Suddenly, Lily didn't feel so comfortable anymore and she started fidgeting about. She uncrossed her legs and twiddled her thumbs as she waited for Yul to return with the drinks.

[Mini Magi]

Yul went to the kitchen, and after a minute, and the sound of some clanking glasses, Yul came back with a bottle of wine, a bottle of water, and 2 glasses. He put them down on the table, then went to her chair... "Keep sitting and lean back." and lifted it up while she was still sitting there. What? It didn't have wheels, she had to get to the table, and she looked like she could need a little prank to pull her out of some worrisome thoughts. Ignoring little protests, he put her down again at the table, then gave the chair a little push to scoot it closer.

"Do your future self a favor and drink an equal amount of water with your wine. Hydration is key when avoiding a hangover." Yul sat down on the other end of the small table, then poured her some wine, then himself, but rather than drinking it right away, he leaned forward, his arms on the table, fingers linked, and talked. "I'll just go ahead and say the most obvious. You returning home is, as far as I know, impossible. And I tried. Really did. But the spell used to do it is like a magnet. It can pull someone in from far away, which is precise. But attempting to reverse it? For all I know, you could end up outside of your planet, in the ocean, or worse: Inside something solid, like the ground. And that is assuming you arrive in one piece, since pull and push forces work very differently. In a nutshell: I'm sorry, but you're stuck here." Okay, now was a good moment for a drink, so Yul reached for his glass and drank half his glass. On the bright side, at least the wine was good. After setting down the glass and taking a deep breath, he continued. "You don't have to do so right away, but I suggest you move forward. My world isn't so bad if you ask me. And if you went to school, your education is on par with that of a noble. That means work opportunities at traders should be the easiest. Or maybe even for a job at the various guilds around here. Or, and I really would recommend you consider this one: You could work for me." It did border a bit on being taken advantage of if he was honest. But his intentions were much purer than those of the nobles. If anything, this was mutual beneficial, not being taken advantage of, so his hopes for a positive reaction were up.

[frisbee]

"O-oh... That's okay. I don't plan on drinking much anyway." Lily had never had alcohol before, but she decided to take a sip regardless to prepare for the bad news. She didn't particularly enjoy the taste, but not too bad. As Yul spoke, her nerves drove her body to act. The most natural action to take with a wine glass right in front of you is to sip, so sip she did. Steadily, she emptied her glass by the time he was finished. "Stuck here...?" She gazed at her now empty glass. Going by what Yul said, she could theoretically be brought back if the same magic was used from her own world, but that could never work as long as magic didn't exist there. She huffed a sigh and poured herself another glass of wine.

"Move forward..." She took another sip. It was a lot to take in, after all. Her fate had been drastically altered, and she was powerless to do anything about it. It angered her. She took another sip. "Okay, so... I can kind of guess what working as a trader or at a guild looks like, but what would you need me for? And what do I get in turn? Also, I don't think I'm ready to move past this quite yet. Will they just keep summoning people from my world here? Because that's seriously messed up." She took another sip, emptying her glass. She was still of sound enough mind to see that it was probably a good idea to fill her glass with water this time, especially considering how inexperienced a drinker she was.

[Mini Magi]

Yul chuckled at the last remark. It was funny because it was tragic. A classic rule of comedy. "There is a lot to unpack, so let's go one thing at a time.
Yes, it is messed up, which is why I have been going against it for years now. So if by any chance you catch a rumor or two, let me know so I can prevent more cases.
I'm not expecting you to find a job right here and now. By all means. I have a guest room you can use. Mope about it, be angry, go through the stages of grief, the whole program. At least help me out with the housework in return, and I'm sure we'll figure something out." That part was really without an ulterior motive. She was basically kidnapped. Not even Yul would try to make lighthearted fun of that kind of situation. 

Yet after emptying his first glass, he brightened up a little. "As for working for me... Well... I've been wanting to open a shop for a while now. Or specifically: A pharmacy. It's why I bought this building in the first place. Buuuuut I think you can see how successful I have been with that. Doesn't help that I occasionally have to travel, so I can't keep it steady on my own. As for what you get, money, healthcare, and a scary guardian~ But don't rush that decision. By all means. Try out other things. Keep it in mind as plan B maybe? Regardless, guest room is yours." While she thought, he poured himself some water, using her thinking time to hydrate. 

[frisbee]

"I guess that's fair..." Lily didn't mind doing housework but was wary of being seen as a housewife. She sighed internally. What's with these silly thoughts? She sipped her water as she mulled over her options. Yul was being generous, that's for sure. There was no risk trying out some stuff, she'd always have a guest room to fall back on. A little bit of security she could hang on to. She really appreciated that, and cracked a little smile.

Going out and becoming a trader or merchant seemed the most fun and would give her the most agency, but it relied heavily on one's charisma. It required ruthless persistence and cunning. That didn't suit her at all.

Joining a guild... Lily doubted she would be able to keep her identity as an otherworlder hidden for long in such an environment, which would doubtlessly make her a target. She'd rather avoid that hassle.

"...A pharmacy, huh. That's pretty cute. Actually, I was meaning to study to become a doctor back in my home world. I think this is probably the closest I'll get to a career in medicine. I don't think the decision will be that difficult for me, then. If you don't mind, of course..."

[Mini Magi]

Yul turned unusually silent at that response. He was... surprised? "Wait. Really?" Honestly, he was sure it would take more time, more convincing. Maybe even a call to action. Heck, maybe even poison? He had many scenarios in his head. But not one where she was fine just taking up the offer. "Huh..." It took him another moment to snap out of it. "Oh, I mean, sure. I'd be glad to have you. I'm just used to very different reactions." Right now, she was more crazy than him as far as he was concerned. That was definitely not the kind of situation he usually dealt with when trying to be generous. 

Still trying to order his thoughts now that a lot of them were for naught, Yul went for the wine bottle once more, filled his glass, and downed it in one go. Pushing the bottle back to the middle of the table, he thought some more, and finally talked again. "Alright. But I want to make sure you know what kind of person you would be working with. Truth be told, the intentions may be there, but I'm not a good guy. The king who summoned you as example. I ratted him out to the church, and his head will probably be rolling in a few days as compensation. That is just how I dealt with things this time. To get to the point: I kill people." Yul paused, giving her a moment to process it. Surely she had thought of the possibility of that. He was strong after all, made his way into the castle even, and knocked out armored guards. That wasn't something someone was capable of doing if they were not ready for violence. "I mean I stab them with my knife, burn them alive, freeze them solid, shock them to death. You name it, I probably did it. Not because I enjoy it. Not because I want to. But some people aren't worth the effort to be reasoned with. They are either too old, or too deep into their issues to take them out. I wanna be upfront and say that this also at times included Otherworlders. Like one that had the power of nullification. To turn anything he wanted into nothing. Structures, artifacts, people. Everything gone without a thought, and fueled by ego." One more pause, and he regretted not filling up his wine glass before. But he had to move on. "And the reason I tell you this is because I... Well, genuinely like you. You're cute, smart, have a nice voice, keep a surprisingly cool head despite everything, and I value you too much to risk it all by hiding details. Oh! And no! I have NO such plans for you. Sorry that I didn't start with that, but can I just say that this whole bonding experience is really new for me?" Combine that with how her acceptance earlier came out of left field for him, and it was a little miracle in itself that he managed to structure the truth like that at all. Still. He wouldn't hold it past her if she didn't quite agree to his out of work methods.

[frisbee]

"You make a compelling case, maybe I should just leave right now." Lily joked, but it was clear she was shaken up about this revelation. She poured herself another glass of wine and continued to sip nervously as she fell silent for a few moments.

It's not like Lily didn't understand what Yul was talking about. She was not a pacifist. Sometimes it truly is the only feasible solution. But... did he have to describe it in such vivid detail? Could she be sure he didn't really enjoy it? She brought her glass to her lips intending to take a sip of wine, but decided at the last moment to gulp it down instead.

"Uh... Okay, so killing people is bad I think. I get it though. People don't always respond to words, but they will respond to the edge of a blade or the point of a gun. And if that's the only way to prevent the world from being reduced to nothingness... Well, you know. I have to clarify, though. You're sure you don't enjoy that sort of thing? You only kill people when it's the only option available to prevent catastrophe?" Her voice was stern, her expression serious. "And I'm no expert, but... I don't think that type of work is normal for a pharmacy, is it?" 

[Mini Magi]

Oh wow. True, it would have been more impressive if that was something stronger, but it also signaled that she was trying quite hard not to just lose it. And unlike others, she seemed to understand that there simply are people who don't just miraculously turn good. Refreshing, really. But did he enjoy it? Yul crossed his arms and leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "Tricky question." He thought about some of his latest jobs, and the answer would be... mixed. He thought some more about it, and since he didn't smile, it was fair to assume he both took the question seriously, but also that there wasn't pure enjoyment. He sighed, then leaned forward again, and made eye contact. "I think it comes down to which part we are talking about. The process itself? No. But I am satisfied if the problem is solved afterwards. Right now as example, I am hunting down any record of the hero summoning spell. And I will be quite happy once all traces of it are gone." Something she could probably relate to, albeit for different reasons. "Hey, this is starting to feel rather heavy. You mind if we take a little break? We can continue anytime, but you haven't even seen your room yet, you know? Heh. And then there is the bath. Kinda proud of that one." It was difficult to keep the flow of the situation going. After all, they were talking about death. Not exactly a happy-go-lucky theme to have a mild chat about. "Or you can ask me more. Your call."

Edited September 27, 2022 by Mini Magi

[frisbee]

"I see..." It's true, if possible Lily would rather prevent any more people from her world being brought here. She emptied her third glass of wine and rested her head in her hands. She could feel the effects of the alcohol setting in, it started to become a little difficult to think clearly about this. Maybe she overdid it? She had no idea how much she could handle, after all.

"Right... let's stop talking about this for now. I need to think about this sound of mind." She quickly poured herself a glass of water and gulped it down. "Okay. Please show me around, then. And, you know... thanks. For helping me out."

[Mini Magi]

Alright. Time to move again, so Yul pushed his chair back with his feet. "Nah. Don't mention it." It was good to know she was grateful, though. So? He would show her even more things to appreciate! 

Yul started with the kitchen since it was the closest room nearby, and it was indeed well-equipped. It was essentially a modern kitchen, complete with fridge and freezer. "Before you ask, electricity. Making an air compressor was not easy of course, but hey. I'm awesome." That he had a bit of help here and there were just unimportant details. And what mattered more was that at least when it came to cooking, she wouldn't have to adjust at all. 

Next up was the bathroom, into which Yul let Lily go by herself since he waited at the door. And the first thing that came to view was the ridiculously big tub. It was circular, had a kind of sitting step inside at the edge, but the center was probably about 1.5 meters deep, making it possible to bathe standing. And it would easily fit 10 people. "I actually just needed a small tub for me and my rubber ducky, but my ego had to fit in too." With Yul having experience with modern tech, it was about as simple as could be. The valves for hot and cold water were only different in the regard that the water would come through a bigger than usual faucet. "That's not a men need everything bigger thing by the way. It just makes it fill up reasonably faster." A big tub needed a lot of water after all. That aside, there was little else worth mentioning. Though, it was probably quite a relief to know that he had a working toilet. "Next up are my room, your room, and the pride of my more likeable job. Think I can have another few minutes with you?"

[frisbee]

It pleased her to know that with Yul's help, adjusting to life in this world wouldn't be that hard. The important things were all covered, and the bathroom was even more spacious than she was used to. Lily couldn't help but wonder if Yul perhaps held parties in that huge tub, but she decided not to ask. Regardless, it looked very comfortable to relax in. "Pft... Your ego?" She let out a soft giggle. She was pretty sure he was kidding, but sometimes it was hard to say for certain. It sure sounded as though he was being serious, after all.

"Mm-hmm. Yeah, show me." She emerged from the bathroom to meet up with Yul outside the door. Lily figured she would probably not spend much time in Yul's room, but supposed it didn't hurt just to have a look. More important was that last part he mentioned. The pride of his job? Something to do with the pharmacy? Lily struggled to think of even one thing that could mean.